Ball-cock for flush-tanks.



E. A. GEHRKE.

BALL 000K FOR FLUSH TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.21,1913.

v Patented May 12, 1914.

INVENTOR wnNEssEs ATTO RN EY EDWARD A. GEHRKE, or LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

'.BAIiL-COCK FOR FLUSHTANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed February 21, 1913.' Serial No. 749,950.

To all who-m it may conce-ra.'

Be it known thatl I, EDWARD A. GEHRKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the vcounty of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Ball-Cock for Flush-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in ball cocks'for flush tanks.

The object of the. present invention is to improve the construction of ball cocks for tlush tanks, and to provide a simple, inexpensive andellicient cock or valve mechanism, having a straining device and equippedrwith a catch basin accessible exteriorly of the flush tank, and adapted to be easily cleaned without removing the valve from the flush tank.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orA sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing z-Figure 1 is a Vertical sectional View of a ball cock embodying the invention and constructed for use in deep flush tanks. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a relatively short'ball cock. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View' of the lower intei'iorly arranged tube. A

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In theaccompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a main vertical tube, provided with a threaded lower portion 2, extending through an opening 3 in the bottom 4 of a flush tank and equipped at the upper face of thebottom 4 with a `collar 5,.

which coacts with a lower nut 6 in securing the tube 1 to the bottom of the flush tank. The bottom of the flush tank is clamped between the collar 5 and the nut 6, a gasket 7 of rubber, or other suitable material-being preferably interposed between the nut 6 and the bottom of the flush tank, but the connection between the tube and the bottom of the.

flush tank may be rendered water tight in any other suitable manner.

The lower threaded portion 2 of the vertical tube 1 depends below the bottom 4 of the 'ush tank, and it is provided at its lower end with an interior annular recess '8, formed by an inwardly projecting annular `flange 9 and receiving an outwardly extend iii`g annular flange 1() of an interiorly arranged tube 11 of considerably smaller diameter than the tube 1 and extending upwardly into the saine in spaced relationwith the said tube 1 to provide an intervening annular space to form a catch 1basin 12 for holding sand, gravel and other accumulation entering the ball cock. Then the tube 1 is of considerable length, as illustrated in,y Fig. 1 of the drawing, the interiorly arrai'iged tube 11 is preferably of a lengt-li to y extend above the bottom 4 of the flush tank, y but it may, of course, be of. any desiredA length, and the annular flange 10 thereof is located near the end of the tube 11, which receives an elastic gasket 13o`f rubber, or other suitable material fitted against the lower face of the annular flange 1-0 and being of greater diameter than the vsaine to lit against the lower end .of the tube land extended to theouter face of the saine to provide a water tight joint at this point. The

tube 11 is detachably retained within the lower portion of the tube 1, and the gasket 13 is held firmly against the lower end of the same byineans of'a union 14, threaded to en# gage the exterior screw threads of the tube 1 and provided at the bottom with an inwardly extending flange 15, which is adapted to engage beneath an outwardly extending fla-nge 1G of a short tubeor nipple 17. The short tube or nipple 17 which has an exteriorly threaded lower end, is designed to be connected to a suitable supply pipe, but

the pipe 17 may be of any desired length and may constitute a considerable portion of the supp-ly pipe. Y

The interiorly arranged tube'll is provided above the annular flange 10 with a drain opening 18, adapted to permit water tc drain from the catch basin when the short tube or nipple 17 is uncoupled from the main tube Y1.- When it is desired to clean the catch basin, the water is turned 'off and the union 14 is unscrewed from the lower end of the vertical tube 1 and the interiorly y arranged tube is removed therefrom and with vit the accumulation contained within thel catch basin, the upper face 19 of the interior annular flange 9"being beveled toprevent any of such accumulation from lodging on the iange. After the catch basin has been cleaned, the parts may be quickly re coupled, the elastic gasket 13, which is carried' by the lower portionof the tube 11, enabling av water tight joint to be made between the nipple, the interiorly arranged tube 11 and the vertical tube 1.

The upper end of the verticaltube 1 is interiorly threaded to receive a screw plug 20, .constitutinga top for theI vertical tube 1 and provided with ka threaded opening 21 of considerably .less diameter than the interior of the tube 1 and receiving an upper adjustable interiorly arranged tube 22, provided with exterior threads 23 to engage the threaded opening in the plug 20 and having a strainer 24'of wire gauze, or other suit: 'able material at its lower end. The. upper end of the tube 22 extends above the plug 20 and constitutes a seat for a vertically movable valve, consisting of a plunger composed of upper and lower sections 25 and 26. The lower portion of theupper tube depends below the .plug and is arranged in spaced relation with-the tube 1. The adjustment of the upper tube also enables a proper closing action of the valve to be obtained and will take up any wear of the parts. The lower section is provided in its lower end withfa circular recess 27 for the reception of a disk v 28 of rubber, leather, or other suitable material to engagewith the upper end of the tube 22,which forms the valve seat. The lower section is provided with a tapered upper portion 29, and it 'has a threaded terminal stein or portion 30, which screws into la threaded socket 31 in the lower end of the upper section 25, a suitable packing 33 be-.

ving arranged on the tapered portion 29 otv the lower section and adapted lto be expanded bythe same into close contact with the interior of a valve casing 34 vto prevent slot 35 through which extendsa lever 3G,

. connected at one end by a pivot 37 to a pair of projecting ears 38 of the valve casing'. The other end of the lever 36 is connected by a` link 39'with a shortangularly disposed arm l40 of a float vcontrolled lever 41, fulcrumed by a suitable pivot 42 between upfl wardly, projecting ears 43 and having a -ball float 44 secured to its outer Yend. The' lever 36 is provided at an intermediate point with'a rounded portion45 operating in the slot or aperture 35A of the up'per section of the valve. The float 44 operates the lever 41 and the valve in the usual manner.

The valve casing is interiorly threaded a vided at points intermediate of its upper and interior annular flange beveled `at its upper its lower portion at 46-to screw on a threaded upper portion ,of the plug 20, which is prog.

ing` a gasket 48 of rubber, or other suitable material. The gasket 48 is interposed between the valve casing and the flange of the plug and forms a water tight joint. The valve casing is provided at one side with a discharge pipe 49, consisting of a short upwardly extending horizontal arm and a rela tively long depending arm, which terminates a short distance above the bottom of the ilush tank. The discharge pipe 49 delivers the water to the flush tank close to the bottom thereof, and is adapted in a great measure to eliminate' the noise,` which would result from a considerable fall of water. The top horizontal arin of the pipe 49'prei`erably supports the ears 43, and the said pipe 49 is also provided at the top portion with an interiorly threaded tubular extension or nipple 50 into which is screwed the inner threaded end 51 of a relatively small discharge tube 52. 'The valve casing` is piovided with an extended exteriorly threaded upper portion 53, and it is closed by4 a safety interiorly threaded cap 54.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing is illustrated another torni of invention, in which a rela tively short vertical tube is employed instead of the relatively long tube 1 hereto/fore described. The tube 55 is provided with an integral top 56 havingl a reduced threaded 95- opening to receive an upper adjustable strainer carrying tube 57, which coacts with a valve 58, constructed similar to that heretofore described. The valve casing 59 is also constructed substantially the same as the valve casingl before described with'the ex. ception that aA short horizontal discharge tube 60 is employed.

. What is claimed is 1. The combination with a flush tank, of

a ball cock extending through the bottom ot' the flush tank and provided between its ends with means for securing it to the said bottom and extending below thesame and having an interior annular recess at itsl lower 1.10

end, an interior vertical tube provided near its lower end with an exterior annular iiange fitting in the recess, said interior'tube extending into the main tube and arranged in spaced relation -wth the sanie to. form a catch basin, and a union connected With'tlie lower end of the main tube'fo'r'" coupling a supply pipe to the same and detachablyretaining the interior tube within the vertical 1 tube.

2. The combination with aflush tank, of a ball cock including a main-vertical tube-extending through the bottom of the flush tank and provided at its lower end withan faceand spaced from the lower edge of the vertical: tube to form an interierannular ren cess, an., interior vertical tube provided near its lower end with an exterior annular Harige arranged-"in ,the said recess .and fitting .1

I cv i i A u a against the saul interior flange, said luterior lube being arranged .in spared relation with the inain tube to form a catch basin, a Aasket arranged on the lower end of the interior tube and tting against the flange thereof and against the lower end of the main tube, and a union arranged on the lower end of the main tube and engaging the gasket and detachably retainiu-` the vertical tube in position.

3. A; ball cock of the class described iueludingl a main Vertical tube interior-ly threaded at the upper end, a screw plug engaging the threads of the vertical tube and constituting a top for the saine arid having a threaded openingl of less diameter than the said tube, an upper interior vertical tube.

| exteriorly threaded and adjustably mounted iu "the said threaded opening and projecting,r above the'top of the main tube and depending into the .latter and provided at its lower end with a strainer, a valve casing connected to the upper end of the main tube, and a valve operating within the Casing and coaeting' with the upper end of the adjustable tube.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing ture in the presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD A. GEHRKE. Witnesses: I

W. C. FnAMr'roN, OLLI Rnrrrnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtanet-rfor ve 'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

as my own, l have hereto atlixedv my signa- 

